The last rain in late autumn knocked the yellow leaves on the plane trees in the courtyard to pieces.

Before dawn, the maid Qiao Yun went out. As soon as she stepped into the yard, she stepped on a slippery leaf and almost fell.

She quickly called the little maid in the courtyard.

"Sweep up these fallen leaves quickly. If anyone steps on them and falls, it will be bad."

After she said that, she went to boil water for tea and rice. She didn't see the little maid behind her, sneaking towards her unconvinced. Pout.

Qiao Yun quickly boiled the water, picked up the pot and called out softly in front of the main room door.

"Madam, are you awake?"

The room was quiet, and then a soft and light voice came out.

"Wake up, come in."

Qiao Yun pushed the door open and saw the woman sitting by the window.

There was no one else in this deserted room but her.

She had already put on her clothes. It was an apricot-colored long coat with dark flowers that was not old. Although it was not a rich color, it perfectly complemented her slender neck and fair cheeks.

Her lips were not as plump as pale pink petals, and the bridge of her nose was straight but not obtrusive. Under her beauty, her eyes, as clear as a lake under the bright moon, were half lowered. Without looking at the bronze mirror on the dressing table, she moved her hands neatly. All the strands of green hair were tied up and formed into a regular woman's bun.

Qiao Yun didn't like the lady's bun.

When Madam was still a girl from the Xiang family, she had long slender braids on her temples and a bun with thick black hair. Just a few Eastern beads were needed to make her look unconventional.

But since marrying into the Tan family, the Xiang family girl has become the Tan family's wife. Not to mention the cloud bun, she no longer even wears the popular women's bun. There is nothing wrong with the bun, and then a silver hairpin is put on it, and there is nothing more.

Those who were good in the Xiang family faded away after marrying into the Tan family.

One month after their wedding, her husband went to Beijing to take the exam, leaving her alone at home. After winning the exam, he became an official in Beijing and did not go home for three years.

"Ma'am, why don't you let your hair down? Yesterday, I saw the eldest girl wearing a bun that is popular in the south of the Yangtze River. It looks really good. Let's change the new bun and wear it too."

She looked at it hopefully . With his wife.

Xiang Yi smiled after hearing this, "A girl's family is rich, so naturally she has to dress up more handsomely. Am I still the same as the girl?"

"Why is it different? How many years older are you than the older girl?"

But it's just a girl who has someone else. It hurts, no one is hurting you here...

Qiao Yun is Xiang Yi's nanny's daughter. The two have been together since childhood. Xiang Yi knew that she hurt him, so he gave her a comforting smile.

"Okay, we're not here to compete with each other in Tan's house. We just have to do our jobs well."

Qiao Yun knew what Madam would say.

In Madam's mind, coming to Tan's house is just to do things, and she never cares about other things.

But no matter what, Madam still married into the Tan family, to the eldest son of the Tan family...

What else Qiao Yun wanted to say, Xiang Yi had already gotten up.

"Okay, it's getting late, it's time to say hello to the old lady."

Qiao Yun couldn't say any more, so she could only sigh unwillingly, wait for Xiang Yi to clean her face, lightly dye her eyebrows, and then walked along Holding the light, he accompanied her to the old lady's residence.

Qiuzhaoyuan, where the old lady lived, was a long way from the main courtyard. The two of them braved the cold wind and did not dare to stop. When they arrived at Qiuzhaoyuan, it was already dark. Fortunately, it was not too late.

She is said to be an old lady, but Zhao is not very old, not yet in her forties.

Back then, the Zhao family left their two young sons, Tan Ting and Tan Jian, unattended, and the Tan family was eyeing the status of their eldest son, so the Tan family negotiated with the Zhao family to let the younger Zhao family come in to take care of the two. A young son.

Mrs. Zhao has a laid-back temperament, and she has worked very hard as the wife of the Tan family over the years. When Xiang Yi married in, she hurriedly put all these things on her.

At that moment, Mrs. Zhao had just stood up, supporting her face with her arms, and her mother-in-law was taking care of her. When she saw Xiang Yi coming, she cheered up a bit.

Xiang Yi asked for greetings.

At this time, a strong wind blew outside, making the window lattice rattle.

Mrs. Zhao was surprised, "Such a strong wind?" She asked Xiang Yi, "Is it colder outside today?"

Xiang Yi said yes, "Mom, please put on more clothes."

Ms. Zhao said that it was okay for her . She just didn't have to go out, but she thought of others and called the maid next to her.

"Go and send a message to the second master and the girl. Don't come to say hello today. Don't get caught in the cold."

The little maid heard the words and wanted to go. Mrs. Zhao added naggingly.

"Ask them to light up the charcoal fire, wear more clothes, and don't go out. Don't get cold. They two are not strong and strong, so how can they get cold..."

The nanny who was waiting next to her The grandma laughed, "Old lady, you are too worried about the second master and the girl."

Xiang Yi smiled beside him, took the tea from the maid's hand, and poured it for Mrs. Zhao himself.

Only then did Zhao think of Xiang Yi, who was sitting quietly next to her.

"By the way, Brother Jian's marriage will be less than a month from today. You have to be more careful and make sure this happy event is done well. Although the weather is cold, there are many things to do this year. You Don't be careless, arrest them both inside and outside."

Xiang Yi agreed.

Mrs. Zhao took another sip of hot tea, suddenly thought of something, put down the teacup, and rubbed her forehead in annoyance.

"There is also the matter of Chu Xinggu. We can't let the fuss continue. It should be settled today. You can take care of it."

Then she mentioned a few more things, big and small, and handed them over to Xiang Yi.

No matter what you do, just do it properly and don't get into trouble.

Xiang Yi responded one by one and walked out of Zhao's room. The wind came from the corridor with the winter chill, seeping down his neck and into his clothes.

Qiao Yun quickly gathered Xiang Yi's cloak.

"The wind in the morning is too strong. Madam, please go back to your room first and wait until the wind subsides before you come out to do errands."

The sky was gray and it was not known how long it would take for the wind to stop.

Xiang Yi looked up for a while, sighed and said forget it, braved the wind, and turned around in the direction of Tan Jia Shan Tang.

"Don't neglect the old lady's instructions. Let's deal with Aunt Xing's affairs first."

Chu Xinggu's affairs were not easy to handle.

Chu Xinggu is a girl from a family of scholars in Qingkan County.

Father Chu Xiucai studied hard for twenty years in Hanchuang and only passed the examination as a scholar.

Although he failed in the imperial examination, his knowledge was very good, even better than some candidates, so he was introduced to the Tan family to study and became an enlightened teacher.

Chu Xiucai worked as an enlightenment teacher in the Tan family for fifteen years. A cold wind two months ago suddenly took his life.

Chu Xinggu had been weak since she was a child, and her marriage was full of twists and turns. Chu Xiucai suddenly disappeared, and she became even more desperate.

After a series of blows, Xinggu was fine, but her only mother fell ill. Both mother and daughter had to rely on medicine to survive, and relatives and friends all stayed away when they saw this.

The weather is freezing, the roof is leaking and there is no money to repair it, medicine is no longer affordable, and the rice supply at home is at the bottom.

Aunt Xing and her daughter couldn't live any longer, so they had to go to Tan's house and ask for some help.

After all, Chu Xiucai had been a teacher in the Tan family for fifteen years. After Xiang Yi found out about it, he directly placed the mother and daughter in the Tan Family Charity Hall and asked doctors to diagnose and treat the mother and daughter.

The mother and daughter were extremely grateful.

But not even three to five days later, word spread about this, and the Tan family actually started to make a fuss.

"When Chu Xiucai was alive, the Tan family gave him a job and paid him monthly money so that he could live a good life. Otherwise, how could he, a scholar from a poor family, teach in the Tan family for his whole life?"

"He doesn't Thank you so much, why are your wife and daughter dependent on the Tan family now that they are dead? "

They want to drive away this mother and daughter from a humble family.

Originally, the aristocratic families did not have much interaction with the common people of the poor families. If there were children from the poor families who passed the imperial examination, they might be able to marry into the aristocratic families.

But in recent years, the relationship between the aristocratic family and the humble family has cooled down.

Aristocratic families look down on the poverty-stricken people from poor families, and most of them, even those from poor families who become officials, have lost the character of scholars.

Wealthy families also look down on aristocratic families who use their power to bully others, thinking that they dominate the world and even hold the imperial examination in their hands, making it even more difficult for scholars from poor families.

The poor family has a large number of people, and the aristocratic family occupies a high position. Whether it is in the court or in the countryside, there is an invisible tense atmosphere everywhere.

In the past, it was common for aristocratic families to help poor families. Nowadays, if they don't write a letter of refuge and come to seek refuge, most aristocratic families will not provide any help to poor families.

The Tan family members were not willing to deal with the matter of Aunt Chu Xing and her daughter. They said that the young people were not good enough and the Zong family should not spend money on outsiders. They made a fuss and wanted to drive Aunt Xing and her daughter away.

These Tan clan members who are causing trouble are all living a poor life. They have no ability to make money outside, so they can only make some money from the clan. Now that the clan members are giving money to others, it is like spending their own money. General muscle pain.

Xiang Yi was not prepared to ignore them at first, but they still made trouble to the Zhao family in Qiuzhaoyuan.

Zhao is the most impatient to deal with these things. Under such circumstances, it would be too ruthless to expel Aunt Xing and her daughter, but taking care of Aunt Xing and her daughter would not be well-received by the tribesmen.

She didn't take over the matter and left it to Xiang Yi.

At this moment, these tribesmen gathered in the shantang early in the morning to talk.

"It's not that we won't spare you, it's that this year has been difficult for everyone. It's not just you."

"After all, you mother and daughter are not from our Tan family. You should know better and leave as soon as possible."

There was another man in his early forties . A young woman with a long chin and thin face looked at the sick Aunt Xing with disgust.

"What's the matter with you, a poor daughter who has not yet left the court, staying in our Tan family? Do you still want to wait for an opportunity to marry in?"

She said and clicked her tongue, "It's best not to make such a calculation."

After saying these words, Chu Xinggu's already pale face had lost all color.

Her mother almost couldn't breathe after hearing this.

"Tan Youliang's family, please don't slander me!"

Just as they were about to start a quarrel, a little girl shouted.

"The wife of the Zong family is here!"

Everyone was a member of the Tan family. When they saw the wife of the Zong family coming, they all became quiet and looked towards Xiang Yi.

The thin and long-faced lady Tan Youliang came from a good family and was the most sharp-tongued. She was the one who started the trouble that caused the Zhao family to make trouble earlier, so she asked immediately.

"Madam of the Zong family, the mother and daughter of the Chu family have been living and dining in our Tan family's charity hall for three or four days. The Tan family is a wealthy family. They don't have to pay for accommodation, food, and medicine, but they can't live and eat like this. Right?"

Tan Youliang said righteously. After speaking, he glanced at Aunt Xing very quickly. He saw that Aunt Xing was wearing mourning clothes and had a sickly look on his face. She looked a little sick.

It is precisely because of this that her unsatisfactory son actually fell in love with her.

It's ridiculous that a daughter from a humble family, even if she looks like a fairy, can't enter their aristocratic family.

Tan Youliang's family said what they said, and everyone also shouted to Xiang Yi to drive them away today.

Aunt Xing and her daughter looked gloomy and clutched the baggage at hand uneasily.

Xiang Yi glanced across the crowd gently and spoke slowly.

"I came here today just to tell you that Aunt Xing and her daughter can stay in Tan's Kind Hall to recuperate and don't have to leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was in an uproar.

Even Aunt Xing and her daughter couldn't think of it at all.

Tan Youliang's family immediately became anxious.

"What does this mean?" She looked at Xiang Yi, "Could it be what the old lady meant?"

She pressed Zhao, and Xiang Yi just smiled lightly.

"The old lady is weak, so she asked me to act according to the clan rules."

After she finished speaking, her eyes swept over everyone's faces again.

"According to the rules of the Tan clan, all descendants of the clan, as well as neighbors who are on good terms with the clan, help each other in poverty, support each other in disaster, and support each other in sickness. This is the way to prolong the family life. ①" "

Mr. Chu has learned and done ten years in the Tan clan . Isn’t it true that Mr. Chu, who has been teaching for five years, is a good neighbor? It has not been more than a hundred days since Mr. Chu’s death, and his wife and daughter are in trouble. Why

should n’t Mrs. Tan help her?” The family will bear the responsibility until the condition improves before moving away. "

Xiang Yi is not familiar with Aunt Xing and his daughter, but Chu Xiucai has done so many years for the Tan family, and he should not let his wife and daughter feel cold.

In the face of the clan rules, no one dared to refute for a while. Only the Tan Youliang family was dissatisfied and wanted to argue.

But before Xiang Yi preceded her, Youyou gave her a heads up.

"Anyone who obstructs this matter is flouting the clan rules and will be punished."

The autumn wind swept away the turbid atmosphere in the shrine.

Tan Youliang's family wanted to say something, but was blocked.

Aunt Xing and her daughter couldn't stop their tears from flowing down. They supported each other and kowtowed to Xiang Yi to thank him.

Xiang Yi quickly motioned to Qiao Yun to lift the two of them up.

"I'm just following the clan rules."

After Xiang Yi finished speaking, he ordered Tan Qingshan and his wife, who were in charge of the charity hall, to write down the expenses of Aunt Xing and her daughter in their accounts for easy clarification.

After all the instructions were given, Xiang Yi no longer stayed any longer, nodded to everyone, turned around and left.

The cold wind stirred up the fallen leaves on the ground.

Before they could get far, the Tan clan members who were causing trouble just looked at each other and couldn't bear it any longer.

Tan Youliang's family said directly.

"Yeah, when the old lady was a clan wife, she never used clan rules to suppress us. Why does she, the Xiang family?"

"Yeah, why does she? No one takes care of us clan children, but she is in a hurry. Go take care of the poor family of the common people."

Someone said this, and someone suddenly remembered something.

"I understand. Didn't she also come from a poor family? No wonder she doesn't get close to us people and only treats us as thieves!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone's dissatisfaction with Xiang Yi immediately surged out like boiling water.

"Isn't that right? She is the most important person every time we cooperate with the government in setting up tents to provide porridge. We want to make some money from it, and she has to keep an account."

"She spends our Tan family's money to help her people . Went."

"Tsk, it's not necessarily all spent. Maybe he moved back to his parents' house. After all, Xiang's family was confiscated. Can't we use our money to provide subsidies to his parents' family?"

Xiang's family was confiscated? This incident was a major event that shocked the government and the public in the past. No one knew about it.

Seeing everyone in Tan Youliang's family saying this, they started to sneer,

"The daughter of a corrupt official was married into the family on the strength of an old engagement. She has no shame. How can she be a good person? She said she keeps track of everything. If you ask me, I'm afraid she can't help but check her own account!"

Everyone said yes.

But Xiang Yi is the wife of the clan and the wife of the clan. It is not something that they, the branch clan members, can just check.

There are not many people who can check Xiang Yi's accounts. The respected elders will not check the accounts of a young woman, and the old lady Zhao has a laid-back temperament and will not look for trouble.

Unless Tan's eldest son, Uncle Tan Tan Ting, comes back.